Buddhism by country

China40.5/
Percentage of Buddhists by country, according to the Pew Research Center

This list of Buddhism by country shows the distribution of the Buddhist religion, practiced by about 535 million people as of the 2010s,[4] representing 7% to 8% of the world's total population. It also includes other entities such as some territories.

Buddhism is the official religion in four countries, Bhutan, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.[5] The religion also holds a special status in two countries, Thailand and Laos.

Buddhism is the majority religion in Bhutan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Mongolia, and Laos. It is also the most followed religion in certain nations or territories without any majority religion, such as Mainland China, Hong Kong,[6] Macau,[7] Japan,[8] Singapore,[9] Taiwan, Vietnam,[10] and Kalmykia in Russia. Large Buddhist populations live in North Korea, Nepal, India and South Korea. China has the largest population of Buddhists, around 470 million or 33.3% of its total population according to the new data of 2023.[1] They are mostly followers of Chinese schools of Mahayana, making this the largest body of Buddhist traditions.

Mahayana, also practised in broader East Asia, is followed by over half of the world's Buddhists.[1] The second largest body of Buddhist schools is Theravada, mostly followed in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka.[1] The third largest body of schools Vajrayana, is followed mostly in Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, Mongolia and parts of Russia,[1] but is disseminated throughout the world. The fourth largest body of Buddhist schools is Navayana, mostly followed in Maharashtra, India.[11][12]

By country

Pew Research Center (2010)

Buddhist population by country (Pew Research Center)[1]
Country/Territory Population % Buddhist No. of Buddhists
Afghanistan Afghanistan 31,410,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Albania Albania 3,200,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Algeria Algeria 35,470,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 American Samoa 70,000 0.3% < 10,000
 Andorra 80,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Angola Angola 19,080,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Argentina Argentina 40,410,000 < 0.1% 20,000
 Armenia 3,090,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 Aruba 110,000 0.1% < 10,000
Australia Australia 22,270,000 2.7% 600,000
Austria Austria 8,390,000 0.2% 20,000
 Azerbaijan 9,190,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 Bahamas 340,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Bahrain Bahrain 1,260,000 2.5% 30,000
Bangladesh Bangladesh 148,690,000 0.5% 720,000
 Barbados 270,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 Belarus 9,600,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Belgium Belgium 10,710,000 0.2% 30,000
Belize Belize 310,000 0.5% < 10,000
 Benin 8,850,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 Bermuda 60,000 0.5% < 10,000
Bhutan Bhutan 730,000 74.7% 540,000
 Bolivia 9,930,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Botswana Botswana 2,010,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Brazil Brazil 194,950,000 0.1% 250,000
Brunei Brunei 400,000 8.6% 30,000
Bulgaria Bulgaria 7,490,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Burkina Faso Burkina Faso 16,470,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Cambodia Cambodia 14,140,000 96.9% 13,690,000
Cameroon Cameroon 19,600,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Canada Canada 34,020,000 0.8% 280,000
Chad Chad 11,230,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 Chile 17,110,000 < 0.1% 10,000
China China 1,341,340,000 18.2% 244,130,000
 Colombia 46,290,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo 65,970,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo 4,040,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Costa Rica Costa Rica 4,660,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Ivory Coast Côte d'Ivoire 19,740,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Croatia Croatia 4,400,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 Cuba 11,260,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 Cyprus 1,100,000 0.2% < 10,000
Czech Republic Czech Republic 10,490,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Denmark Denmark 5,550,000 0.2% 10,000
 Dominica 70,000 0.1% < 10,000
 Dominican Republic < 0.1% < 10,000
 Ecuador < 0.1% < 10,000
Egypt Egypt < 0.1% < 10,000
El Salvador El Salvador < 0.1% < 10,000
 Estonia < 0.1% < 10,000
Ethiopia Ethiopia < 0.1% ?
Falkland Islands Falkland Islands < 0.1% ?
 Federated States of Micronesia 110,000 0.4% < 10,000
 Fiji < 0.1% < 10,000
Finland Finland < 0.1% < 10,000
France France 62,790,000 0.5% 280,000
 French Guiana < 0.1% < 10,000
 French Polynesia < 0.1% < 10,000
Germany Germany 82,300,000 0.3% 210,000
Ghana Ghana < 0.1% < 10,000
Greece Greece < 0.1% < 10,000
 Guam 180,000 1.1% < 10,000
Guatemala Guatemala < 0.1% < 10,000
Guinea Guinea < 0.1% < 10,000
 Guyana < 0.1% < 10,000
 Haiti < 0.1% < 10,000
Honduras Honduras 7,600,000 0.1% < 10,000
Hong Kong Hong Kong 7,050,000 13.2% 930,000
Hungary Hungary < 0.1% < 10,000
Iceland Iceland 320,000 0.4% < 10,000
India India 1,224,610,000 0.8% 9,250,000
Indonesia Indonesia 266,535,000 0.8% 2,062,150
Iran Iran < 0.1% < 10,000
Iraq Iraq < 0.1% < 10,000
 Ireland 4,470,000 0.2% < 10,000
Israel Israel 7,420,000 0.3% 20,000
Italy Italy 60,550,000 0.2% 110,000
 Jamaica 2,740,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Japan Japan 126,540,000 36.2% 45,820,000
Jordan Jordan 6,190,000 0.4% 20,000
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan 16,030,000 0.2% 40,000
Kenya Kenya < 0.1% < 10,000
North Korea North Korea 24,350,000 1.5% 370,000
South Korea South Korea 48,180,000 22.9% 11,050,000
Kuwait Kuwait 2,740,000 2.8% 80,000
Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan < 0.1% < 10,000
Laos Laos 6,200,000 66.1% 4,100,000
 Latvia < 0.1% < 10,000
Lebanon Lebanon 4,230,000 0.2% < 10,000
Lesotho Lesotho < 0.1% < 10,000
Liberia Liberia < 0.1% < 10,000
Libya Libya 6,360,000 0.3% 20,000
Liechtenstein Liechtenstein < 0.1% < 10,000
 Lithuania < 0.1% < 10,000
 Luxembourg < 0.1% < 10,000
Macau Macau 540,000 17.3% 90,000
Madagascar Madagascar < 0.1% < 10,000
Malawi Malawi < 0.1% < 10,000
Malaysia Malaysia 28,400,000 19.8% 5,010,000
Maldives Maldives 320,000 0.6% < 10,000
Mali Mali < 0.1% < 10,000
 Malta < 0.1% < 10,000
 Martinique < 0.1% < 10,000
Mauritius Mauritius < 0.1% < 10,000
Mexico Mexico < 0.1% < 10,000
Mongolia Mongolia 2,760,000 55.1% 1,520,000
 Montenegro < 0.1% < 10,000
Morocco Morocco < 0.1% < 10,000
Mozambique Mozambique < 0.1% < 10,000
Myanmar Myanmar (Burma) 56,960,000 89.9% 38,410,000
Namibia Namibia < 0.1% < 10,000
 Nauru 10,000 1.1% < 10,000
Nepal Nepal 29,960,000 10.3% 3,080,000
Netherlands Netherlands 16,610,000 0.2% 40,000
 New Caledonia 250,000 0.6% < 10,000
New Zealand New Zealand 4,370,000 1.6% 70,000
Nicaragua Nicaragua < 0.1% < 10,000
Nigeria Nigeria 158,420,000 < 0.1% 10,000
 North Macedonia < 0.1% < 10,000
 Northern Mariana Islands 60,000 10.6% < 10,000
Norway Norway 4,880,000 0.6% 30,000
Oman Oman 2,780,000 0.8% 20,000
Pakistan Pakistan 173,590,000 < 0.1% 20,000
 Palau 20,000 0.8% < 10,000
State of Palestine Palestine < 0.1% < 10,000
Panama Panama 3,520,000 0.2% < 10,000
 Papua New Guinea < 0.1% < 10,000
 Paraguay < 0.1% < 10,000
 Peru 29,080,000 0.2% 50,000
Philippines Philippines 93,260,000 2.0% 1,861,600
Poland Poland < 0.1% < 10,000
 Portugal 10,680,000 0.6% 60,000
 Puerto Rico 3,750,000 0.3% 10,000
Qatar Qatar 1,760,000 3.1% 50,000
Réunion Réunion 850,000 0.2% < 10,000
 Romania < 0.1% < 10,000
Russia Russia 142,960,000 0.1% 170,000
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia 27,450,000 0.3% 90,000
Senegal Senegal 12,430,000 0.3% < 10,000
 Serbia < 0.1% < 10,000
Seychelles Seychelles < 0.1% < 10,000
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone 5,870,000 0.3% < 10,000
Singapore Singapore 5,090,000 33.9% 1,730,000
Slovakia Slovakia < 0.1% < 10,000
Slovenia Slovenia < 0.1% < 10,000
 Solomon Islands 540,000 0.3% < 10,000
South Africa South Africa 50,130,000 0.2% 100,000
 Spain < 0.1% < 10,000
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 20,860,000 69.3% 14,450,000
Sudan Sudan < 0.1% < 10,000
 Suriname 520,000 0.6% < 10,000
Eswatini Swaziland < 0.1% < 10,000
Sweden Sweden 9,380,000 0.4% 40,000
Switzerland Switzerland 7,660,000 0.4% 30,000
Taiwan Taiwan 23,220,000 21.3% 4,950,000
Tajikistan Tajikistan < 0.1% < 10,000
Tanzania Tanzania < 0.1% < 10,000
Thailand Thailand 69,120,000 93.2% 64,420,000
Togo Togo < 0.1% < 10,000
 Tonga 100,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Tunisia Tunisia < 0.1% < 10,000
 Trinidad and Tobago 1,340,000 0.3% < 10,000
Turkey Turkey 72,750,000 < 0.1% 40,000
Turkmenistan Turkmenistan < 0.1% < 10,000
 Tuvalu < 0.1% < 10,000
Uganda Uganda < 0.1% < 10,000
Ukraine Ukraine 45,450,000 < 0.1% 20,000
United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates 7,510,000 2.0% 150,000
United Kingdom United Kingdom 62,040,000 0.4% 240,000
United States United States 310,380,000 1.2% 3,570,000
 Uruguay < 0.1% < 10,000
United States Virgin Islands US Virgin Islands < 0.1% < 10,000
Uzbekistan Uzbekistan 27,440,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 Vanuatu < 0.1% < 10,000
Venezuela Venezuela < 0.1% < 10,000
Vietnam Vietnam 87,850,000 16.4% 14,380,000
Yemen Yemen < 0.1% < 10,000
Zambia Zambia < 0.1% < 10,000
Zimbabwe Zimbabwe < 0.1% < 10,000
World 6,895,890,000 7.1% 487,540,000

Other data

Buddhist population by country (Other data)
Country/territory Population % Buddhist No. of Buddhists Year Source
 Argentina 47,327,407 2022 National census
 Australia 25,422,788 2.4% 615,800 2021 National census[13]
 Bangladesh 165,158,616 0.61% 2022 National census[14]
 Belgium 0.3% 2018 Other[15]
 Bhutan 735,553 2017 National census
 Cambodia 97.9% 2013 Other[16]
 Canada 1.1% 366,830 2011 Census[17][18]
 China 33.4% 470,000,000 2023 Studies[19]
 Costa Rica 2.34% 100,000 2012 Other[20]
 Denmark 1.1% 64,000 2018 Other[21]
 Germany 270,000 2016 Other[22]
 India 1,210,854,977 0.7% 8,442,972 2011 National census
 Italy 0.3% 160,000 Caritas Italiana[23]
 Japan 67.0% 84,336,539 2018 ACA Religious Yearbook[24]
Up to 20.0% 2017 JGSS[25]
 Kuwait 4.0% 100,000 2006 Other[26]
 Macau 80.0% 455,000 2012 Government report[27]
 Mongolia Up to 93.0% Other[28]
 Myanmar 50,279,900 89.8% 45,185,449 2014 National census[29]
 Oman 1.2% 30,501 Other[30]
 Philippines 1,861,600 Other[31]
 Russia 0.6% 866,500 2016 Other[32]
 Saudi Arabia 1.5% 414,016 2007 Other[33]
 Singapore 4,044,210 31.1% 1,257,749 2020 National census
 Sri Lanka 20,359,439 70.2% 14,272,056 2011 National census[34]
 Sweden 0.7% 57,064 2020 Other[35]
 Taiwan 35.0% 8,050,000 2006 Other[36]
 Thailand 67,706,048 93.5% 63,299,193 2018 National census
94.5% 63,620,298 2015 Census[37]
 United Arab Emirates 5.0% 222,201 2006 Other[38][39]
 Vietnam Up to 66.7% Other[40]

By region

Buddhism by region in 2010[1]
Region Estimated total population Estimated Buddhist population %
Asia-Pacific 4,054,990,000 481,290,000 11.9%
North America 344,530,000 3,860,000 1.1%
Europe 742,550,000 1,330,000 0.2%
Middle East-North Africa 341,020,000 500,000 0.1%
Latin America-Caribbean 590,080,000 410,000 <0.1%
Total 6,895,890,000 487,540,000 7.1%

Ten countries with the largest Buddhist populations

Countries with the largest Buddhist populations as of 2010, according to Pew Research Center[1]
Country Estimated Buddhist population % of the total population of the country % of world Buddhist population
 China 244,130,000 18.2% 50.1%
 Thailand 64,420,000 94.5% 13.2%
 Japan 45,820,000 36.2% 9.4%
 Myanmar 38,410,000 87.9% 7.9%
 Vietnam 14,910,000 14.9% 2.9%
 Sri Lanka 14,450,000 70.2% 3.0%
 Cambodia 13,690,000 96.9% 2.8%
 South Korea 11,050,000 22.9% 2.3%
 India 9,250,000 0.8% 1.9%
 Malaysia 5,010,000 19.8% 1.0%
Subtotal for the ten countries 460,620,000 (% of total of all ten countries) 15.3% 94.5%
Subtotal for the rest of the world 26,920,000 (% of rest of world population) 0.4% 5.5%
World total 487,540,000 7.1% 100%

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Buddhism by country.

General:

References

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  19. ^ 2023 approximations of the statistics from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) of the year 2018, as contained in the following analyses:
  20. ^ "Buddhism in Costa Rica". The Costa Rican News. 2012. Archived from the original on 16 December 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  21. ^ "Eurobarometer 90.4 (December 2018): Attitudes of Europeans towards Biodiversity, Public Perception of Illicit Tobacco Trade, Awareness and Perceptions of EU customs, and Perceptions of Antisemitism", Special Eurobarometer, European Union: European Commission, 2018, archived from the original on 19 May 2020, retrieved 26 August 2019 – via GESIS
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  23. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). db.caritas.glauco.it. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 November 2007. Retrieved 11 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  24. ^ 宗教年鑑 令和元年版 [Religious Yearbook 2019] (PDF) (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan. 2019. p. 35. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 December 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
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  34. ^ Department of Census and Statistics,The Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka-2011 Archived 7 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine
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